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The expression "Mozart Effect" refers to the beneficial effects that listening to the melodies of composer W. A. Mozart can have on people. During the 1990s in the United States, several popular research and books based on the famous "Mozart Effect" emerged.
This effect was seen to benefit babies, as early as the mother's womb, but not in any way: Mozart's music was supposed to make them smarter. These conclusions were reached on several fronts, which we will analyze and reveal whether the "Mozart Effect" has really been proven.
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What does Mozart have that others don't?
There have been many tests with music by other composers that did not give the same results as Mozart, with exceptions.
The benefits of music, especially some of Mozart's pieces, could be due to the beats per minute it has, and the high frequencies of the instruments, since they change the state of the brain (especially in those areas related to the right hemisphere, where the space-time functions are located) and make it more receptive.
Mozart's music, compared to that of other composers, has some distinctive properties: the sounds of his melodies are pure, precise, they are highly harmonic sounds, and the rhythms, the melodies themselves, the meter, the pitch, the timbre and the frequencies of his music seem to stimulate the human brain, activating our neurons.
Not all of Mozart's music produces these effects: it seems that the music that achieves the greatest impact on a cognitive level is that which has a high frequency, such as the Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major (also known as K448) or the Violin Concertos 3 and 4.
Two U.S. researchers, Huges and Fino, subjected a wide range of music to computer analysis, including Mozart, Bach, Chopin, and 55 other composers. They were able to find a periodic repetition of certain long-term 'musical waves' (an average of 30 seconds) present in Mozart and two pieces by Bach.
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Other recent studies have found that a current composer, the Greek musician Yanni, produces 'New Age' music with traits similar to certain Mozart compositions in rhythm and melody and that it has also shown similar effects on the spatio-temporal abilities of those who listen to it.
All these components present in Mozart's music influence concentration, attention and memory, and the learning process. But does it make us smarter?
The Background: The Tomatis Method
The Mozart effect became popular in the 1990s, but as early as the 1950s an author began researching the benefits of classical music. Alfred Tomatis was the one who coined the term "Mozart effect". He studied the effects of the of music in the brain, developing the Tomatis method, which we have also told you about.
Alfred Tomatis used the Austrian composer's melodies to treat pathologies of different kinds in disabled children and adults. His work was recognized by the French Academy of Sciences and Medicine, and there are currently Tomatis treatment centers in the United States, Europe, and Latin America. There is also a book where the scientist explains the basis of his research.
But the therapeutic benefits of music are one thing, and it's quite another for music to make us smarter. In addition, the devices used in therapeutic auditions by the Tomatis method centers are very specific and filter the music to reach the Hertzian waves desired by the patient, which differ from case to case.
Listening to Mozart, smarter students (for ten minutes)
MozartEffect
Neurobiologist Gordon Shaw is one of the "fathers" of the Mozart effect, who pointed out in the early 1990s that musical activity reinforces the neural pathways involved in the spatio-temporal abilities of the cerebral cortex. Listening to music seems to activate, not one, but several brain areas.
